Barça survives Llull and caresses the league

Llull's last shot is usually a round deal, but miracles are miracles because they hardly ever happen. This time the Spaniard made a mistake, forcibly, and could not finish what would have been his umpteenth masterpiece. Barça caresses the league title that will rescue them from so many recent troubles, from so much frustration accumulated in a period thought for much more. He won in a high-flying duel, of tension, heroes, controversy and ups and downs on the scoreboard, with Mirotic as white torture. [86-85: Narration and Stats]

Nobody ever came back from 2-0 in an ACB final. But neither has anyone ever picked him up in a Euroleague playoffs.. This is what a Madrid clings to, which in the two duels at the Palau has struggled without achieving it to match its rival in aggressiveness. That precedent against Partizan is feared by Barça, who despite their level of seriousness and concentration never manages to completely annihilate the whites. He had to resort to agony to succeed again.

Because Llull was determined to flirt with glory again, with a last quarter that lived up to his legend. When Chus Mateo needed him the most, the more Dzanan Musa failed, the Spaniard played a rebuke with seven consecutive points that blocked Barça. But since this is about guys with so much talent that they don't tremble even stepping on the abyss, it was a triple from Mirotic that answered all that, the one that led the duel to a heart attack outcome. Surely none of the last three fouls called by the referees was and in the last possession, six seconds, Llull could not emulate his basket from Kaunas.

Hezonja and Vesely

It had turned out to be a meeting of pure passion. Hezonja and Poirier were the two springs that woke up Real Madrid before, lazy at the start, almost always towed by a Barça without loopholes, 11 gladiators without ego under the orders of Saras. That dawn pointed to many good things for the locals, with Tavares and Yabusele with two fouls from very early on and Mirotic and Vesely becoming owners of the painting.

not the rebound. nor of the marker. Because this Madrid of a hundred lives always finds arguments to hold on to each battle. The genius of Hezonja and the reliability of a Poirier who is fighting to recover his version of himself before the injury put the whites ahead, especially damaging after a devastating run by the Croatian, finished off with a triple from eight meters. However, without Tavares, Vesely was at ease and finished off his very complete first half with a three-pointer on the buzzer for Barça to send to rest (45-41).

Losses, several due to attacking fouls that drove Chus Mateo crazy, were Madrid's ballast and defense its weak point: Barça finds its hoop with surprising ease. That's how it was in the initial clash (97 points) and that's how it was going in the second. Especially since Vesely and Mirotic were still unstoppable around the locker room and a disastrous Musa, once again, entangled his team with senseless attacks. Un triple de Jokubaitis put the maximum (57-48, min. 25) and Sergio Rodríguez appeared to the rescue.

Accustomed to Chacho's celestial moment for weeks, his influence is beginning to be detracted from, with 37 already fulfilled, in this European champion Real Madrid. With confidence in the heavens, with the personality of someone who already knows any path, the canary did not back down at the Palau. 'Toreó' and found Tavares and his team returned to the fight.

But it was hardly individual flashes that held the visitor. Barça suffocated Madrid and also made them lose their cool, fast and hard hands, contacts without fear, the aggressiveness of those who sense a title so close. He seemed to take over the situation, but nothing better than knowing he was hurt so that Madrid becomes more dangerous. If it seemed to be wobbling, nothing could be further from the truth.. Seven consecutive points from Llull completed a 1-13 run. And that rebirth causes fear in the opposite: Barça's wrist shrank at the most inopportune moment, with improper failures in released shots.

Barely a basket in play – a triple from Kalinic as soon as it started – in seven minutes. That's why that triple from Mirotic was a total rescue. And that of Sanli who later answered that of Llull (12 points in the last quarter). Then, the controversy, a lack of attack in a mutual struggle between Hezonja and Mirotic, one from Tavares about a penetration with a fuss from Laprovittola. And Barça, one step away from reconquering the League.